Yumiko Sakaki
Yumiko Sakaki (榊 由美子, Sakaki Yumiko) is a second-year student at Mihama Academy. She is the daughter of "East Beach Railway Express Group" tycoon, Michiaki Sakaki. After the establishment of Mihama Academy, she was the first student to enroll. Her defining feature is a waist-length black hair. Because of her bluntness and a hard-to-please personality, she often comes into conflict with her classmates. Always trying to be alone, she hardly tries to get along with others. She always carries a box cutter with her and uses it to threaten others, particularly Yuuji, when she gets angry. She reads so many books that she’s called a “Bookworm”, and she especially loves mystery novels. Although Yumiko is such a lady, she changes completely in lunchtime; junk foods, like a cup of fried soba noodles, are her favorite dishes. Appearance Yumiko is a girl of average height with waist-length purplish-black hair, violet pupils and fair white skin. Her bust is the second largest among the Mihama girls, only after Amane. Her casual outfit consists of a violet blouse covered by a yellow jacket and a white knee-length skirt. Michiru has once noted that she has a "grandmother" look. In the later parts Grisaia no Rakuen, she starts wearing a white one-piece dress with a rope-like belt on her waist. Personality Makina mentions multiple times on how Yumiko is a "classic kuudere." She keeps up a high guard around everyone especially Yuuji and her own father, Michiaki. However, she does all she can to help or protect others from harm, and gets upset when she can't do anything. She hates scary things (such as ghost stories) and secretly loves compliments (as shown in the scene, Come Forth, Dere). As someone defined as a kuudere-'' a silent, cold girl who has a warm side that doesn’t show very frequently- Yumiko has spent a large part of her life distancing herself from others, which is why she comes off as outwardly hostile and exudes an air of intimidation. Despite being more of a ''kuudere, Yumiko is also a natural at being a tsundere, which makes a dismayed Michiru tell Yumiko to stop stealing her gimmick. Her social skills are poor and, because of this, she tends to do or say things embarrassing when forced into social situations. Thusly, she attempts to avoid them, though it’s more to spare others the trouble. Yumiko can get rather violent when flustered, shown by how she constantly brandishes a box cutter on the object of her ire and even nearly went to the point of slapping Yuuji in the face when he pestered her for too long. Being the daughter of a railway tycoon, Yumiko was brought up in an upper-class household and lives the life of an ‘Oujo-sama’ right down to the personality. She does not mince words and speaks in a very respectful and regal air. While she may seem like she’s avoiding people, silently she prays for the days spent in her old school when others were faking their kindness, though obviously without the fake part. Yumiko truly wishes to get along with the others in Mihama Academy, but finds it increasingly difficult due to her personal problems as well as their own. Though her feelings are only budding at the time he’s pulling her from, Yuuji is a huge part of Yumiko’s life. She even states that he is unlike the others in Mihama Academy when he claims that he’s willing to listen if she’s willing to talk about her problems or her life, from which can be inferred that Yumiko did not trust any of the other girls in the way she trusts Yuuji. In her route, her relationship with Yuuji is what helps her break out of the shell she finds herself trapped in, the kindness he exhibits to her warming her cold heart. Yumiko has a sensitive spot to false kindness and will lash out harsher than usual if she detects it from anyone. Of course, her detecting it would be a bit difficult. She’s not stupid by any means, but she can be a bit naïve. Yumiko exhibits a lot of traits one would think to fall under the ‘moe’ category, such as blushing, muttering, humming happily and being surprised easily. On that note, Yumiko cannot handle scary stuff at all that she even got spooked enough by the sound of hot air/water exiting a box of instant yakisoba that she dropped it and ruined her meal. Yumiko has two large passions: Reading and Art. Most of her time is spent reading books she nabs from the library that look interesting, or drawing her surroundings. Art was an escape from the real world for her and, from the canon point Yuuji’s taking her from, continues to be one even to this day. Unintentionally, when Yumiko gets serious about something she puts on a glare that is extremely intimidating, most likely inherited from her father. She made such a face when deciding on what flavor of crepe to buy, and it was initially mistaken as a death glare to the list or the person behind the register by her fellow classmates. In conclusion, Yumiko is a very complex individual with a lot of problems to sort out deep within her icy heart and without Yuuji or any of her fellow classmates in Mihama Academy, it’s going to take a whole new level of warmth to thaw this snow queen. Background Yumiko Sakaki should not have been born. That was the feeling that lingered within her father, Michiaki Sakaki’s heart. Born to a business mogul and his faithful wife, Misako Sakaki, Yumiko’s childhood could be described in one word: empty. No matter how many times she tried to engage in conversation with her mother, her father being around sparingly, Yumiko’s mother would only throw out curt responses that didn’t seem to be paying very much attention. It was a difficult life for Misako being the wife of such a ruthless man, and eventually her health deteriorated to the point where she and Yumiko were forced to move out of the Sakaki household and settle with her parents. Yumiko’s mother’s parents owned a smaller company that was picked up onto its own two feet and assisted heavily by Michiaki’s company, the East Beach Railway Express Group. Because of this, the grandparents were constantly putting on fake smiles in front of their daughter and griping about how she needed to get better and go back to being with Michiaki so their business would thrive. They never showed Yumiko anything like affection. In retrospect, she was treated like an unwanted burden, a symbol of failure. They didn’t mind arguing in front of Yumiko, which caused her to either leave the house or go to her room. An elderly neighbor, Toshie, was one of the only people who showed her legitimate kindness. Toshie was an old woman who had looked after Yumiko's grandparents' family for many years as their housekeeper. In school, Yumiko took up art, not minding what she sketched due to the activity taking her mind off her personal, lonely life. She filled the vast stretches of empty time by drawing pictures. None of the other kids in the school bothered to talk to her, only increasing the loneliness within her heart. Due to being the daughter of such a tycoon, a reporter was constantly harassing her for information all because, as a naïve child, she had given him a few bits of info in the past which prompted a scolding from her grandparents. Eventually, somewhere down the line, Yumiko’s mother’s condition worsened to the point she had to be hospitalized 24/7. Yumiko would constantly visit her and engage in pointless conversation, though as the days dragged on she began to feel as if the trips were only burdening her. During one of the trips, her mom said something that hit deeper than any knife could have possibly cut: “If only you had been a boy.” This comment caused Yumiko to charge out of the hospital and break down into tears in shock. She could've endured it if her mother had complained about something she could fix but no matter what, she was powerless to undo the reality of her own birth. Angry, Yumiko pulled a box cutter out of her schoolbag and cut off her hair. It was an impulse driven movement and she got scolded for it by her grandparents, but this marked the first time that Yumiko’s trademark box cutter would be with her. Time passes, and Yumiko’s mother asks for forgiveness for her harsh words. At that point it seems like life is finally beginning to make a turn around. Her mother is much more lively and vivid, and the doctors claim that she is going to make a speedy recovery and be out of the hospital in no time. Hearing her grandparents mention that this meant she could go back and live with Michiaki and everything would be okay disgusted her. Just as things were finally taking a turn for the better, once again Yumiko’s life would come crashing down. The same reporter from before hands Yumiko a magazine, claiming that Michiaki had been caught with a mistress and the mistress gave birth to a healthy baby boy, as well as the fact that Michiaki intended to divorce Yumiko’s mother. Yumiko rushed to the hospital to stop her mother from reading about it, and there she spotted a lawyer and some men in suits. Feeling that they had come to deliver divorce papers, Yumiko tried to stop them and when she found her mother on the roof, she noticed something lying on the ground: the magazine containing the article about her father was lying at her mother's feet. Yumiko called out to her but when Misako looked at Yumiko, she said something that completely destroy Yumiko's hope: "I'm sorry, but... who are you again...?" She was shocked to hear her ask who she was. The article in the magazine had driven Yumiko’s mother to the point of amnesia. This horrific event, still burned into Yumiko’s mind, never disappeared. Eventually, Toshie, the kindly neighbor who had always tended to Yumiko and her grandparents died. At the funeral, Toshie's daughter, Sanae, chastised Yumiko and claimed she did not belong there since it was her family that took advantage of her kindness and worked her into her grave. Sometime after this event, Michiaki requested for Yumiko to move back in with him. Naturally, the grandparents being her legal guardians turned her over to him and the relationship between the grandparents’ small company and Michiaki’s was repaired. When Yumiko first arrived in her old house, she was stunned as her father was acting so kindly. The way he acted was completely different from what she remembered and what she had read about. He was so kind to her, but she couldn’t be nice to him back. She offered only quick, short responses to his inquiries and he didn’t seem to mind. He just continued to talk on and on. Yumiko refused to be nice to her father, continually reminding herself that he was the man who put her mother in the hospital. He was so busy with his work that he was only able to spend his free time a few nights a week at home, eating dinner with his daughter. Eventually, the topic moved onto her mother and Yumiko froze. Michiaki apologized for the way things turned out and the way that he had treated her and practically begged Yumiko for forgiveness. She ran upstairs and broke down into tears, for both the way she had been treating him this entire time and his change of heart. Things took a large turn for the better, conversations at dinner having Yumiko talk more often and her school life brightening. Michiaki promised her that once Misako gets better, all three of them would go to an amusement park as per Yumiko's request. When she moved back in with Michiaki, Yumiko had transferred to a special, all-girls school with girls who were from upper class families. Where she had been a bit of an oddity in school, all the girls attempting to be nice to her while she flicked them aside, now Yumiko was bright and had amassed a large amount of friends. Her entire life had improved and everything seemed to be perfect. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Overhearing a conversation between the household employees in her home caused Michiaki’s intentions to be revealed: His son had died, and Yumiko was being spoon fed false kindness to shape her into the next head of the company, Michiaki’s own puppet. This shook Yumiko’s foundation to the core and she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Things came to a head at school the next day. Kanako Iida, a friend she had become very close to was caught by her talking behind her back, making up cruel comments about rumors that had speculated around Yumiko’s birth and upbringing. With her entire world crumbling down in front of her, Yumiko Sakaki snapped. Taking out the box cutter she had cut her hair with, all it took was the girl to step forward and hold out a hand asking what was wrong. She couldn’t take the false kindness from others anymore, and before she realized what she was doing she had plunged the box cutter into her friend’s palm. The girls screamed, the injured fell, and Yumiko just laughed. She couldn’t stop laughing, cursing her upbringing, cursing her very existence, cursing about how disgusting those who showed her false kindness had been. Even as the teacher’s tackled her down and she was reprimanded, Yumiko continued to laugh. Eventually, Michiaki founded a school named Mihama Academy and sent Yumiko to live there. It was more like a prison than a school, but Yumiko didn’t mind; being a bird trapped in the cage. She no longer had to be in the same home as her father. Eventually four other girls would come to join the Academy over the years; Amane Suou, the older sister type with a Kansai dialect when upset that always doted on the others. Michiru Matsushima, a blonde, twin tailed girl who was acted like an idiot and attempted to keep up a tsundere image. Makina Irisu, a girl who made up fake words on the spot and seemed to know way more adult rated things than any girl her age should. Sachi Komine, the class president, a girl who could fetch anything you required so long as you weren’t too vague about it or she’d jump to the craziest conclusion. Things were relatively peaceful as the year trudged on, with Yumiko keeping her distance from the others unless absolutely necessary. Then, Yuuji Kazami arrived as the only boy in this previously all-girl school. Yumiko avoided Yuuji's presence as much as possible, but when he went to try and talk to her/meet her she initially acted coldly. Her trusty box cutter would be used to attempt to slash him to pieces constantly, though he dodged every one of her attacks and pushed on. Eventually she attempted to slap him, and he caught her hand. After an exchange of words over a misunderstanding, and some attempts at cutting later that were met with the same resistance as before, life slowly shifted its way back to normal. After a miscellaneous amount of odd instances (such as being frightened by the other students to see what cute sounds she would make/her frightened face and being complimented to see her show off a dere side), things would begin to change in the dorm as Yuuji’s organization assigned him to act as Yumiko’s bodyguard in her route. Plot (Anime) Grisaia no Kajitsu During episode 1 and 2, Yumiko claimed a killing to Yuuji as she was actually hard to accept a male in school contained with females only. After Yuuji made advice for his existence, Yumiko stopped her attack, but yet to accept Yuuji. On Michiru's arc, Yumiko still kept her distance a bit. It is revealed in Michiru's arc, Yumiko is bad against thunder and horror stuff. But the others didn't notice this completely. On her arc, it was revealed that she is the heir of the Sakaki Group. She had ordered a gun online, and started to shoot at the policemen and her father. After she realized that her gun had no rounds, she took a grenade and tore off the safety pin. The dorm's interior was destroyed as Yumiko laid on the floor, blood on the walls, and her burnt body on the floor. Later in the series it is revealed that she faked her own death with the help of Yuuji Kazami so that she will be free from the Sakaki Group. After her arc is finished, Yumiko became the most reliable support for Yuuji in aiding the girls problem. On Sachi's arc, Yumiko informed Yuuji to be careful and helped Sachi well when Sachi accepted Michiru's joke offer to stop the test by telling Yuuji that Sachi had once obliterated a school for that. During a night before the test day, Yumiko was set up alongside the girls by Yuuji to meet Sachi when she prepared the bombs to obliterate the school. Yumiko was the only one to notice that Sachi was about to start the bad doing and shook in fear when Sachi started to find a way to take the girls out of the school. On Makina's arc, Yumiko bid farewell to Yuuji and Makina from afar when they went hiding to help Makina. On Amane's final part of her arc, Yumiko was one of the girls to be taken as hostages by Keiji Sakashita. Yumiko mostly take a front to tell off how wrong Keiji's doing. Unfortunately, Keiji only cared for his selfish quest instead. Grisaia no Meikyuu Yumiko is one of all main five girls to read the document of Yuuji's past. Grisaia no Rakuen Yumiko was the first one to hear about Yuuji's false criminal news. She had a talk with Chizuru with the girls following her, only to get a reply for Chizuru that Yuuji didn't want to meet them and Mihama Academy was about to be shut. Yumiko took the most important role to gather information about Yuuji, providing the girls with the new home, and later became the commander in the operation to rescue Yuuji from being kidnapped. On the last episode, she said the same meaning words like Yuuji during mourning of Asako's dying day when Yuuji lamented about his death day is not coming yet. Plot (Visual Novel) Grisaia no Kajitsu Due to Visual Novel nature of splitting between different routes, it should be noted that a specific route occurred after the Common Route is its own story and has no interference with another route. It should also be noted that, unlike the other 4 main heroines, Sakaki's route in the visual novel is vastly different than that of the anime adaptation. Grisaia no Meikyuu Grisaia no Rakuen Anime Special Grisaia no Kajitsu Yumiko only appeared in her own episode. She practiced a lewd service as a wife while cosplaying as a playboy bunny girl, using a carrot hugging pillow as her training object. Her practice stopped after Amane discovered her and Yumiko screamed so loud due the embarrassment. Grisaia no Rakuen Yumiko only appeared in her own episode. Just after she was finished her bath, Yuuji was about to enter. When Yumiko met him, she was about to take Yuuji away until she heard the other girls were about to enter the bath. She decided to hide with Yuuji in a locker. She was shy to be seen to take a bath alone because she refused the others' invitation. After the girl had done, she just realized on why she hid alongside Yuuji inside a locker. Skills * Box Cutter Handling: Yumiko has a great advantage use of her box cutter like a small fencing sword. She was once shown able to cut her classmate's palm deeply with a clean cut. * Art Mastery: '''Yumiko has a great talent on painting * '''Leadership: Although Yumiko only lead her group for once, she capable to lead the Mihama girls during the rescue on Yuuji perfectly. * Informer Mastery: '''Due being a hostile girl, she once using the name of her family to gather any best informant she needed for her safety as the initial purpose. This leads Yumiko to know everything about the Mihama girls before they entered the school, except Yuuji because every informant she asked always got distracted by CIRS. ''' Relationships ''Main article: Relationships of Yumiko Sakaki '' Gallery See Yumiko Sakaki/Image Gallery Trivia * She is the only student in Mihama Academy, apart from Sachi later in Yumiko's route, who owns a computer, and spends most of her time gathering information. * After the Oslo incident, the new CIRS offer her a position in their organization but turned it down because Yuuji retired and doesn't plan on coming back. * Yumiko's bad ending is the only one to not have either character die. ** Yuuji dies on the bad ending of Makina. ** Michiru is implied to have died on her route (physically alive but mentally incapacitated). ** Sachi dies in her bad ending. ** Amane gets murdered in her bad ending. ** Considering that they start their lives from scratch in the bad end, it does not exactly entail a bad ending, but rather a continuation of their initial action of running away. * Yumiko is the only one among the main five females to have her personality changed drastically, but still maintain her serious personality on doing things. * In the anime, while her background is the same, her story was completely changed as opposed to summarizing and altering minor elements like the other heroines. This may be due to continuity issues. * Unlike the other girls, Yumiko wears a necktie rather than a bow tie; similar to Yuuji. * Along with Chizuru, she doesn't call any particular character by their first names. Category:Characters Category:Main Characters Category:Females